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thoroughbred jumper

In The Compassionate Equestrian Dr. Schoen and I stress repeatedly that when a horse exhibits behavioral issues, first rule out pain as the root cause. This is especially true if there’s a change in the horse’s base personality. Sometimes this takes more than one veterinarian’s opinion. Diagnosis of subtle lamenesses can be difficult to pinpoint and the first sign of a problem might be the new or increasingly difficult behavior.

However, in my many 30+ years of working with all kinds of horses of varying breeds, ages, backgrounds and temperaments, there are a few quirky personalities in the crowd that are simply, well, weird. They have legitimate behaviors that are out of the context of “normal” for most horses and sometimes the most compassionate thing to do is let them be exactly as they are. If you can hang on, or tolerate them that is.

Sometimes you just hold on! (photo Alina Pavlova, 123rf.com)

Some of the most interesting have been the off-track thoroughbreds. The subject of this post is one little, classic, plain bay gelding. Nothing particularly spectacular to look at, but he had the kind of personality that made everyone look. Kind of in the way you can’t take your eyes off the cars in a demolition derby.

His name was Earthquake. As the story went, he was born in California during an actual earthquake. We never did confirm whether or not this was true. He was booted off the track in San Diego due to his “bad behavior”. He ended up in a backyard in Phoenix that housed the other off-track thoroughbred jumpers belonging to his owners. Besides a string of successful racehorses, they had produced some of the top amateur jumpers on the circuit.

Earthquake’s owner, Tracy, is the sister of the trainer I was working for at the time. She told us “Quake” was almost impossible to ride on the flat. Even with all of her experience in showing and winning at the “A” Circuit level, this little bay gelding scared her. He would scoot out from under her, spin, leap, and generally act like a crazy horse. She didn’t know what to do with him.

One day he was turned loose in the arena to play. Tracy watched, somewhat stunned, while ‘Quake galloped over jump after jump all on his own, apparently inspired from watching her other horses school over fences. So she clung through the flatwork with him and began to train him for jumper classes.

I had the task of helping her with him at his first show. Lucky me!

I always maintained that somebody had to be the “entertainment of the day” at a horse show and frequently it was our barn. Tracy’s brother was an excellent, caring horseman and would never consider drugging a horse to calm it down or make it easier to ride. He just quietly rode whatever was underneath him in the moment, and so did his sister.

Taking thoroughbreds from the track to their first few shows is always a wild card. ‘Quake was at least consistent with his quirky behavior. I watched the crowded warm-up arena from the barns and it was easy to spot him. That would be the horse and rider leaping above all the others, unrelated to where the warmup jumps were placed.

He was so excited to go in the show ring for his rounds, he couldn’t be contained. He would paw, stretch, almost drop himself to the ground, spin, leap, and spook other horses at the in-gate. Tracy hung on. Then he would go in the arena, focus, clear every jump, and won almost every class he was entered in. He was phenomenal. Just impossible outside of the jumper ring!

He got better at his routine as he began to get the hang of showing.

I had to tack him up before one of the classes and it was exhausting. He spun around in the stall. He couldn’t stay still for a second. I even tried pressing on an acupressure point on the coronary band, in the center of a front hoof. It actually seemed to work, much to my relief. He calmed down and I finished getting him saddled for his class.

Another day, and another class. We got him tacked up and Tracy left him tied in his stall to go walk the course. ‘Quake knew where she was going and he was apparently upset that he wasn’t going to the jumper ring with her. I went in the tack room for a moment when I heard a loud crash from ‘Quake’s stall. Mortified, I saw that he’d somehow jumped over the stall guard while still tied to the inside of the stall. I have no idea how he could have maneuvered his body in such a way through a small opening and over the barrier. Luckily he was unhurt in his desperation to follow his rider to the arena.

All you can do with that kind of enthusiasm is support it and hope the horse connects with the right rider and the right activity to accommodate his energy and ability. In this case, the stars lined up and what would have been an extremely difficult ride for many equestrians, turned out for the best. Last I heard ‘Quake was winning Grand Prix classes in the southwest.

Not every horse with behavioral “quirks” is lucky enough to find its way to a compassionate, competent owner that has the patience to simply let him “be” and allow the talent to shine through. If ‘Quake had been punished for his leaping and spinning who knows what kind of a different horse he may have turned into. Most likely not such an enthusiastic jumper who seemed completely enamoured with his owner.

If you have been able to rule out pain as the cause of your horse’s “behavior problem” and have determined he’s just of the personality type to be the way he is, then kudos to you for your compassion and understanding. In my mind, I can see the happy little grins on all those clownish horses out there whose joy for life just can’t be constrained.

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Welcome to The Compassionate Equestrian!

Susan Gordon and Dr. Allen Schoen DVM extend a warm welcome to everyone who wishes to make compassion a part of their equestrian lifestyle. By following the program we have developed, you will obtain the ability to reach a new paradigm of caring and expanded awareness in your chosen training and handling methods.
The Compassionate Equestrian is the forthcoming book and guide to a heart-centered, science-backed program for everyone who rides and handles horses. It is based on The 25 Principles of Compassionate Equitation outlining the most current, peer-reviewed research studies that identify and support methods of training, handling, and caring for horses that constitute a safe, healthy, non-stressful and pain-free environment for equines, while encouraging their human counterparts to approach their training and handling with compassion and a willingness to alleviate suffering not only for their horses and themselves, but for the benefit of all living beings.

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